School History

The Abington Memorial Hospital School of Nursing began when the hospital officially opened its doors for service to the community on May 15, 1914. The School of Nursing had nine students and two faculty members. The course offered was two years in duration and afforded “excellent practical and theoretical instruction.” The first class was graduated in 1916.

The School of Nursing was located in Abington, Pennsylvania until March of 1993, when it moved to its present location on the Abington Hospital's Schilling Campus in Willow Grove, PA. This satellite campus is approximately four miles north of the Hospital's main campus.

The nation's nursing shortage prompted Abington Memorial Hospital to establish a $20 million dollar nursing initiative to respond to the need locally to educate, hire and retain nurses. Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr. gave a $5 million dollar leadership gift to the school. In May 2001, the school was named the Abington Memorial Hospital Dixon School of Nursing in honor of Mr. Dixon's mother, Eleanor Widener Dixon and his wife, Edith Robb Dixon.

Since 1914, the School has graduated 3144 students who have gone on to serve the local community and beyond as professional nurses.

Congratulations to our Class of 1960! 50 years as Nurses.